


Beginning (Before And After The End)

by Haza_Souz



Series: Shining, Shimmering, Loving [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), im really sorry this is all ive been doing recently
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2020-10-24 16:56:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20709425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haza_Souz/pseuds/Haza_Souz
Summary: [SPOILERS up to near the end of the Seventh Umbral Era questline.]At this end, Asch and Minfilia have their beginning.





	1. Pen-Ultimate

Rain. Nerves. It was an hour before the operation, and Asch was sure she should be thinking about it. Preparing for the charge, mindful of the plan, considering the enemies she was going to face. Definitely not just thinking about the pretty, lovely, warm-hearted Antedecent-

"Asch. You okay?"

Cid's voice burst the white mage out of her reverie, with glowing cheeks. "Yes! Sorry, I've been... distracted." She slapped herself lightly on each cheek, and blinked. "All better now!"

The inventor-come-revolutionary creased his brow. "You know yourself best. But- you know you can trust me, and all of us." His arm swept across the Scions, assembled for the last mission, and that caught the attention of, arrgh, oh no-

"Is everything all right?", Minfilia said worriedly, striding up with more speed than was strictly necessary; one of her hands touched Asch's arm in concern, and her eyes looked so concerned that Asch had to assuage her.

"I'm a-absolutely fine, Min," Asch said. Oh, no, maybe she could play that off as her teeth chattering in the cold...? She clicked them together twice, hopefully smiling at Minfilia, pulling her hood up. The last thing she wanted was to make Minfilia even more worried. Everyone was going to be so worried anyway, but Minfilia seemed even more sensitive to Asch being uncomfortable than the rest. (She cut that line of thought off right there, because that didn't mean anything, Minfilia was just the worrying type...)

Minfilia frowned, stepping closer and looking over Asch. "You're not 'absolutely fine', just look at the state of you. You really need to wash this robe, and your hair..." She fussily brushed Asch's sleeve straight, her face hard to read in the half-twilight of the torches. Asch shuddered lightly as Minfilia's hands went to her head, brushing raindrops out that were making Asch's white hair hang even more droopily than normal. "You have a hood, so it perplexes me that you do not use it."

Cid had retreated by now, so no one else got to see Asch blush deeply as Minfilia pulled the white mage's hood up, and then suddenly their faces were painfully, achingly close. Minfilia's hands were still gripping the edges of the cloak, creating a little hollow just for them; Asch hands floated uselessly at their sides.

"Please, just... care for yourself." Minfilia's whisper had a desperate edge to it, as though she were... scared? Saying it instead of something else?

"You know I do..." Asch croaked. This close, Minfilia's eyes swam with tenderness, fear, concern. They were really very pretty, Asch thought weakly as a drop of rain pooled at her eyebrow, dripping down onto her cheek.

Minfilia took a very short, sharp breath, and leaned forwards- her lips touched Asch's cheek, kissing the raindrop away, and her eyes opened again, very slowly. The world had vanished, compressed into this warm, safe little space where the two of them were close. Asch's mouth opened and closed, and then her arms got the message and hugged Minfilia. A soft gasp of surprise was her reward, as she opened her eyes again, seeing Minfilia gaze at her from so very, very close, nothing but space and fear and trepidation between them.

"Please don't forget this," Asch whispered, and then- it was the thing that took the most courage in her life. Facing down primals, standing in a cold land friendless and alone, confronted with Ascean wizards, they were all nothing; trivial, compared to the courage she needed right then. The courage to touch her lips to Minfilia's, leaning forwards, and feeling the Antecendent lean into her with a sigh that echoed across the landscape of both their souls. Kissing, her hands fell to Minfilia's arms, stroking weakly, all the while her cheeks burned, her heart leaped, the warm light of love peering through the clouds of fear and weakness in Asch's mind.

They parted. The real world slid back in; Minfilia's smile was tender, fond, and her cheeks had the most beautiful shade of red at the edges that Asch could have ever imagined. "I will never forget."

A relieved giggle bubbled past Asch's big, goofy smile, and she nudged Minfilia's nose with her own - the giggle was infectious. Very quietly, Asch held her, and was held by her.

"...Go. Save the world," Minfilia said quietly, gently, sounding happier than she ever had.

"I will," Asch promised, and - no, no second kiss. That was for later, she swore, and then turned to go face Ultima.


	2. Post-Ultimate

"Minfilia!"

The grass was green, the sun shone, and there she was, Asch ran to her. Wind traced over the hilltop, waves of bush and grass rolling, the pollen of flowers and Asch's exhaustion whisked away. Cid said something from behind her, but she didn't care; her friends, her allies, everyone was there, smiles all around at the private little spot the Scions has set up.

Her voice reached them, the little circle breaking apart; Y'shtola waving, Urianger clenching a fist - but Minfilia started running back her way, one hand lifted, calling out Asch's name back to her. Twelve, she really could move, Asch briefly thought, and then-

They met, Minfilia sweeping her up into her arms and twirling her around, cheeks pressed together. Briefly as she spun Asch saw the other Scions beginning to move towards them, but then her feet found the ground and she was suddenly nose-to-nose with Minfilia.

"Minfilia, oh, Minfilia..." Asch sighed, thrumming with joy, relief, and the beautiful woman in her arms smiled before going in for another tight hug. "I-"

"Asch," Minfilia whispered back, and Asch felt herself choke as her eyes welled up with emotion. Her soul, her heart, and her body were worn from everything at the Praetorium, the Ascian attack, the touch of Hydaelyn. And Minfilia had been there, all the others as well, coming together across time and space to deliver their world. "Oh, Asch, you- I was so worried, and am so proud of you! You, oh, you beautiful, wonderful Warrior of Light, you..."

Minfilia was having trouble speaking around the width of her smile, and Asch felt her breath slip away again. She looked at Minfilia, arms still around each other and noses nearly touching, gazing at each other with bright, happy smiles, and then she couldn't take it any longer.

"Be with me," the words spilled from her lips. Minfilia blinked, and Asch went on - no, was borne along by the torrent of her words, the emotions and thoughts of the last few weeks and months pouring out. "I- My life is better, every moment I am with you. You, you're in my thoughts every day - every flower I see, every birdsong I hear, and every spark of joy I feel reminds me of you, a-and when you're near, then they all get a little better."

Minfilia looked at her, first in patience, and then with a rising blush, lips parting in surprise. Asch swallowed, forging onwards. "Minfilia, I, I want to make you as happy, as loved as you make me feel." Her mouth clamped shut, and her bright white hair framed her crimson blush; Asch's head turned away, but with strength she didn't know she had, she forced it back to look Minfilia in the eye, hands dropping to gently take Minfilia's. "If there's anything in the world I want to be, it's yours. I... love you."

Minfilia's eyes were wide, very wide, and Asch gasped gently and turned away, supremely embarrased. Her head turned, dimly noticing the hubbub of celebration had quieted, knowing that she had dragged Minfilia into the centre of attention, oh, Twelve, this was so sutpid, she wanted to go curl up in a ball-

Two gentle hands cupped her cheeks, and she could only yelp as they guided her head back to look at Minfilia again. She was smiling, glowing like the sun to Asch's hopelessly lovestruck gaze, a firm red tinge to her cheeks, and yet she didn't appear shocked or surprised as she leaned in... wait, she was getting clos-

Their lips touched. In a split second, a thousand little feelings and heartbeats collided inside Asch's head, even as her eyes fluttered closed. It was a soft, fragile, and fond little kiss, Minfilia's thumbs stroking with infinite care over Asch's cheeks. How long it lasted, Asch couldn't know or tell.

They parted, but the hands were still on her cheeks, and Asch opened her eyes to gaze into Minfilia's, her beautiful blues flecked with gold, and shining with love.

"I would love that, Asch," Minfilia said very gently, and Asch's heart shattered into a million happy pieces from sheer joy; she gave a high sigh and threw herself forward, into Minfilia's arms. The two lovers spun and stumbled, arms locked around each other and looking only at each other - so they naturally fell down, tumbling onto the beautiful green grass with Minfilia lying and Asch above her.

Minfilia smiled and lifted her arms up to around Asch's neck, going up for a kiss, Asch tilting her head into it and shaking with sheer joy... until the sound of clapping startled the both of them. Asch went a deep, deep red and stumbled to the side, Minfilia only laughing and sitting up, carefree and joyous in her newly-blossomed love.

"Aw, look at the two lovebirds coming home to roost~," Y'shtola giggled, and Asch covered her face with her hands.

"It's about time," Alphinaud added with relief, though not without a smile. "If Asch was going to keep that pent up any longer, she would have burst. A tad hard to defeat the Garlean Empire as a Blast Radius of Light, I think."

"Shall I go out looking for pretty little basket to carry all their eggs in?", joked Thancred, and easily caught Asch's staff as she tossed it at his head. 

"Behave, all of you," Minfilia said, but couldn't keep the earth-shattering smile off her face. She got up, gave a hand to Asch to help her to stand, and kept hold of it afterwards. "...Asch."

"Y-yes?"

"I... feel honoured. And, well, also powerful. You are a hero, the greatest since the Calamity, and even then few from them could compare. You have stood against odds and troubles and remained unbroken... so, the idea that you could now be undone just by my words is, well, incredible."

Asch opened her mouth, but Minfilia hushed her with a gentle bump of the forehead. There was no space between them, Minfilia's blonde front bangs lying against Asch's mane-like sideswept hair.

"You have given me the most precious thing in this world, and done so for no price nor favour asked; the heart of the woman I love." Minfilia leaned in, kissing Asch just once more, nudging their lips closed and together with tenderness from the far, tender depths of her soul. "I love you, Asch, too. I would love to spend today, tomorrow, and all the days after with you, being yours, with you being mine." One hand rose, and she stroked Asch's cheek with the backs of her fingers, until Asch's hand lifted and held it, the both of them giggling softly.

Thancred winked to the other Scions. "'I will be with you, in sickness and in health'", he recited.

"'I swear to hold you first, last, and always in my thoughts,'" Alphinaud said.

"'I will carry you when you falter,'" Papalymo added.

Yda smiled. "'I will become one with you'..."

"...'One spirit, and one family'," Y'shtola said, moving with the others to form an impromptu circle about the blushing pair.

"'We have found each other, and it was the happiest moment of my life. Now, I wish to make you as happy,'" Tataru finished, carefully plucking five little flowers from the grassy waves and binding them together.

Minfilia knelt and Asch did so with her, their friends forming a circle about them. She glanced around at the Scions, smile still wide and heart still pounding with excitement, until her gaze finally rested on Asch. Tataru flitted up and placed the tiny ring of flowers atop Minfilia's head, and Asch made another weak sighing sound.

"You may now kiss the bride," Minfilia said, and they leaned together and kissed, once more, the Scions clapping in celebration. The start of a new life, together and united, with feelings aligned. Today would be the happiest day of Asch's life.

...Well, as long as you didn't count tomorrow, or the day after that, or the day after that, or...


End file.
